Cashew Cream makes a wonderful dairy-free, vegan substitute for heavy cream.
You might have noticed we’ve made a few changes here on Jeanette’s Healthy Living. I am super excited to unveil a new blog design with an updated look and feel, thanks to Julie from Deluxe Designs and Shauna from SMD Web & Blog Design. The inspiration for my new logo was the sunrise above the clouds at Haleakala Volcano on the island of Maui, one of nature’s most spectacular wonders that I experienced with my family last summer and on my honeymoon. Can you see the sun peeking through all the layers of color in the new logo?
And now onto our Cashew Cream. About five years ago, I discovered cashew cream. What an eye opener that was. Cashew Cream is a wonderful dairy-free, vegan alternative for heavy cream. Although it won’t whip up like heavy cream, it’s great in soups, sauces and desserts that call for heavy cream. It’s so easy to make and the mouthfeel is rich, creamy and has dairy notes.
Cashew cream is typically made with raw cashews, but I decided to boil the cashews first because the cashews I used were from the bulk bin and I was nervous about the cleanliness of the nuts since I was giving it to a friend with a compromised immune system. It’s just an extra ounce of precaution. I’ve made cashew cream without boiling the nuts first and it works just fine.
Cashew Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1 1/2 cups water
Instructions
-
Bring a medium pot of water to boil; add cashews and bring back to a boil; drain and place cashews back in pot; cover with water; let sit 30 minutes. Drain cashews and place in a blender; add 1 1/2 cups water and blend until very smooth (no particles should remain). Transfer to a container and refrigerate.
Sooooooooooooo creamy and delicious!
I love cashew cream because it’s so creamy!
How long will it keep in the refrigerator?
This should last about a week in the refrigerator.
I adore cashew cream. Although I am not vegan, I just love the flavor and nutritional benefits.
I do too Melanie – it’s so good!
I love the new look!!! Beautiful! And so is this creamy dreamy cashew cream!
Thank you Rebecca!
Loving the new look of the blog and the logo is great! Simple yet scrummy cashew cream too.
Thanks Olivia!
yes, i love the new blog design!!! and can’t wait to try this!!!
Thanks Alice! I’m really happy with the way everything came out!
I need to whip up some of this to keep on hand for cream soups. Great idea, Jeanette! And your blog is looking great!
Dara – this would work great in creamy soups. Thanks – glad you like the new look!
Jeanette, How long will this last in the fridge?
It should last a week.
Hello,
A friend recommended this recipe to me since I’m lactose intolerant.
I haven’t tried making this but I am super interested in a non-dairy heavy cream replacement.
I was wondering, how much cream does this recipe produce and does it matter how much water you cover the cashews in?
Cindy – this recipe makes about 3 cups. Just add enough water to cover the cashews. You will end up draining it off before blending.
How long can we store it?
It think this should keep about one week in the refrigerator
Yum! I’ll be trying this soon. I have a dairy allergy but love the creaminess dairy adds to everything. I’ve tried almond milk & coconut milk in my coffee it leaves a horrible aftertaste!
I can’t wait to whip this up tonight & have it first thing in the morning!
Cashew milk and cashew cream have a very creamy taste. I hope you like this!
How long does it keep?
This should keep about a week
Why do you have to put the cashews in boiling water? Is it to soften or another reason? I usually soak them in filtered water for several hours. Thank you for your response.
Hi Kendy – you don’t have to use boiling water. I usually just use room temperature water. The only reason I used boiling water was because I bought the cashews in a bulk bin and was making this for someone with a compromised immune system. I thought using boiling water might “clean” the cashews a bit.
If I need a cup of “heavy cream” what amount of cashews/water would I use. 2 cups would be expensive and I wouldn’t need 3 cups of cream. Thanks!
It would be 2/3 of the recipe, so 2/3 cup cashews and 1/2 cup water. It might hard to blend this unless you have small blender – like a Magic Bullet.
Does it freeze well? I’m not sure I could use three cups in a week.
Hi Anna – I have frozen cashew cream in smaller containers and it seems fine. You may have to mix it up after defrosting. You can also make half the recipe.
Does this have a really nutty flavor? I’m trying to find a heavy cream substitute for a sea salt caramel receipt for a vegan friend. Any suggests for evaporated milk? Thanks!
This does not have a nutty flavor like other nuts. I have seen evaporated milk recipes that simply say to cook non-dairy milk such as coconut milk or almond milk until it is reduced by half. I think you can also buy evaporated coconut milk online.
Directions don’t indicate how long to boil once water boils prior to draining and returning to pot to cover with water again.
Hi Yvonne, once the water and cashews come to a boil, drain the cashews and return to the pot, cover with water and let soak.
Do you need raw cashews? I have the Costco ones that are cooked and can be eaten straight out of the container.
This is made with raw cashews – I have never tried it with roasted cashews but I’m guessing they will not hydrate very well and the taste will be very different.
Can you used cashew cream to whipped into frosting for cake?
I haven’t tried using cashew cream like frosting, but it might work – however, I would not frost the cake too far in advance
I was wondering if other nuts could be used and have you tried it with different nuts. Although I love cashews, I don’t believe I have seen raw cashews in the grocery stores.
Thanks, Donna
You could try almonds, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts or walnuts (without skins). If there’s an Indian store near you, they carry raw cashews (Trader Joe’s might also have them).
But can you freeze the cashew cream and if so how long can you store in freezer ?
You can freeze cashew cream – you will probably have to stir it up when you defrost it. I think it should keep for several months in the freezer.